This invention relates to an apparatus for deflecting (detouring) at least one of several article streams advanced in a processing line. The deflected article stream is directed to an accumulating conveyor track and/or to a standby machine which is not in use during normal operation. The processing line has at least two parallel-supplied processing machines to which the articles are advanced from an article delivery station by means of separate conveyor tracks each provided with a rotary aligning device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,222,478 discloses a system in which, during normal operation, simultaneously several machines work parallel and receive in sequence uniformly spaced articles. With the normally operating machines there is associated a reserve or standby machine which, when one of the normally operating machines is inoperative, takes over the function thereof. With each normally operating machine there is associated an aligning apparatus which comprises a rotary table and a stationary guide rail. On the rotary table deflecting means are provided with which the articles are deflected to a conveyor which advances the articles to the standby machine. The articles are thus taken in a single file and, because of their small density, the conveyor can function only in a limited manner as an accumulator.
Further, as known, the conveying speed has to be greater downstream of the aligning apparatus than upstream thereof and, as a result, the articles arrive with the higher conveying speed on the conveyor which advances them to the standby machine.